Ultra Music Festival 2014 has come and gone but reflection has just begun. The event’s live stream broke records and the event and its performers trended worldwide on Twitter and Facebook. Pinning the twelve best moments of the festival seems nigh impossible but we have managed to refine our list based upon our favorites and our readers’ reactions. From deadmau5 trolling the festival to Gaia’s unforgettable set, here are our top twelve favorite moments from Ultra 2014:

12. Dannic b2b Dyro b2b Hardwell

Saturday night of Ultra faced danger from a severe thunderstorm which shut down many of the stages. Dannic, only ten minutes into his set at the UMF Radio stage, forced to end early due to the storm. As conditions improved, Dyro decided to jump on with Dannic and turn the set into a b2b performance. However, the best part came after their mentor Hardwell came out and not only MC’d for the duo but also played a few songs himself. The three DJs turned a disappointing situation into an epic set which became an amazing Revealed Records showcase.

 

11. The Chainsmokers Fill In For Laidback Luke

Early Friday morning, Laidback Luke announced via twitter that his wife Gina Turner was in labor and he needed to fly back home. Left without a DJ in that slot, Ultra had to make some very last-minute scheduling. Organizers decided to move Showtek back an hour and moved rising producers the Chaimsmokers to the opening slot of the main stage.

Recently gaining massive popularity due to their hit song “Selfie”, the duo showcased versatile mixing and seemed right at home on the massive stage. Originally only set to close the 7-up stage, the Chainsmokers ended up opening and closing the festival in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and forever cemented themselves in Ultra and EDM history alike.

10. Aly & Fila b2b John O’ Callaghan Bring Uplifting, High-BPM Trance To ASOT 650

A state of trance has become a permanent fixture of Ultra and consistently assembles a quality lineup. This year, Fadi Wassef Naguib of Aly & Fila and John O’ Callaghan stuck to the origins of trance by crafting a set full of uplifting anthems. While other DJs threw in recognizable tracks, this b2b set comprised of underrated, high-BPM trance songs. While avid listeners of Aly & Fila’s Future Sounds Of Egypt or Callaghan’s Subculture radio shows may have recognized a few tracks, most attendees clearly experienced some fresh exposure to the possibilities of truly uplifting trance music.

9. DJ Snake Closes His Set With “I Will Always Love You” By Whitney Houston

DJ Snake has had a huge 2014 thus far. With “Turn Down For What” topping the charts and many new tracks slated to release soon, the Parisian DJ/producer shows no signs of slowing down. However, he capped off his Ultra set with a very interesting song choice: the late Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

No edits, no remix, and no drop were incorporated into the song; Snake simply played the song straight through. A risky yet memorable closing track, perhaps Snake wanted to express his appreciation for Ultra with one of the greatest love songs of all-time. Regardless of tempo or genre, the song served as a very heartwarming ending to an otherwise high-energy set.

8. Hardwell Closes Ultra With Hardstyle And Moombahton

Hardwell has increasingly become more distinguished with each Ultra set. In 2012 he played in the middle of the afternoon and began to become a recognizable name. In 2013 he played a set which many praised as the best of the festival and kick-started his path to becoming DJ Mag’s #1 DJ. Ultra decided to give him the closing slot of the 2014 festival and many were curious as to how the now-prolific DJ would top his 2013 set. With a set that focused upon 90 percent new music, Hardwell avoided sticking to his familiar tracks while continually building upon his infectious energy.

As the set neared its end, Hardwell began to play his hit “Spaceman” and thanked Ultra for one of the best sets of his life. However, not all was at it seemed as he unpredictably dropped into a new ID which changed BPMs and genres mid-song. Beginning as a bigroom anthem, the ID sped up and became a monster of a hardstyle track which had everyone jumping. The ID then ended with seductive moombahton beat, which was met with the crowd’s cheering and applause. The end of the set signaled a hint at what changes may occur for EDM in 2014.

7. Carl Cox Brings The Best In Techno For A Ten Year Celebration

Carl Cox, no stranger to Ultra, regularly hosts the mega structure for two nights and brings some of the best DJs in the techno world to play with him. Assembling the likes of Marco Carola, Luciano, Pete Tong, and more, the legendary DJ celebrated a decade-spanning residency at Ultra by proving the underground sound remains as pervasive as ever.

Cox even filled the closing slot both nights, a slot he usually gives to another DJ. Cox opened his second set by exclaiming “Here’s to ten more years!”, reinforcing one key principle of techno: the party never stops.

6. Steve Angello Plays Classic House Songs And Unveils Amazing IDs

Last year the Swedish House Mafia closed Ultra with their final performance. This year only one of the group’s alumni attended the event, SIZE records-owner Steve Angello. As opposed to playing a set full of the group’s classic songs, Angello chose to play pure house music and abstain from giving into the now-ubiquitous bigroom sound.

The Swedish DJ and producer also unveiled several new IDs, tracks which seemed far removed from the uplifting, progressive sound of the Swedish House Mafia. When Angello did play a classic track like “Save The World”, he let the crowd bask in familiarity for only a few minutes before transitioning to a fresh, deep-sounding ID. 2014 will certainly be a huge year for Angello and his Ultra set provided an excellent preview into what’s to come.

5. Above & Beyond Play Through Heavy Rain With “Sun and Moon”

As Saturday night of Ultra progressed, severe thunderstorms descended upon Miami and threatened to end the festival early. Many stages shut down temporarily, including the main stage where Above & Beyond were dishing out Group Therapy favorites. When the rain lulled, the crowd found the trance group with their backs to the crowd and their equipment moved under the stage’s covering.

The crowd quickly adjusted to the change as Above & Beyond continued to play their hits. While rain continued to batter the crowd, the group decided to liven their spirits by playing “Sun and Moon.” With lyrics strongly contrasting the muggy weather, the song seemed strangely appropriate and compelled the crowd to dance and sing despite the rainy conditions. While lesser DJs would have called off their set, Above & Beyond persevered through the rain and inspired the crowd with paradoxically beautiful song selection.

4. Jack U Crafts Relentlessly Energetic Set

Jack U, a duo comprised of Diplo and Skrillex, played live for only the second time ever during their afternoon set on the final day of Ultra. However, their set seemed to dull the lethargy of the crowd and forced everyone to move and jump with their diverse song selection. With a set that charted the duo’s own classic tracks to pulsing IDs to samples such as the the Lion King’s “The Circle of Life”, Jack U uncompromisingly decimated the Ultra main stage.

The best part of their set came from the antics of the performers themselves. Always cheering the crowd on, Diplo and Skrillex naturally complimented each other and proved to be an amazing pair. From a cameo from Diplo’s fellow Major Lazer members to a collection of people jumping rope on stage, the set epitomized the artists’ penchants for amazing absurdity and debauchery.

3.  Gaia Brings The Focus Back To The Music With Nuanced Set

After playing a high-energy set on the main stage, Armin van Buuren scaled back a bit by pairing with Benno De Goeij of Rank 1 for the live world premiere of Gaia during ASOT 650. Donning large cloaks which covered their faces, the duo incorporated minimal production to emphasize their high-BPM trance selections. Compiling a set filled with Armin and Gaia’s classic tracks, Gaia evoked the constant energy of trance music before trouse and other forms influenced the genre.

The greatest achievement of the set was seen in the duo’s estrangement from the superstar DJ image. By playing as anonymous figures with zero crowd engagement, the crowd had to harness the energy of the music. This focus represented a paradigm shift in EDM, a genre which normally binds itself to the DJ image over the music. Gaia shattered the conceptions of crowd involvement and proved that people can use music as their sole guiding basis of enjoyment for a live set.

 2. Deadmau5 Trolls The Main Stage While Playing An Incredible Set

On the eve of the festival, Avicii was hospitalized and rumors spread as people questioned the DJ’s ability to play his closing set on Saturday night. Ultimately Ultra was forced to find a closing DJ and managed to hook deadmau5 into filling in for Avicii. Much the critic of the festival in the past, deadmau5 went on to play a set which balanced unfamiliar techno tracks with many new songs which will be featured on his upcoming album.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the set occurred in the middle of the hour. Deadmau5 walked to the front of the stage while a song from the anime “Ghost in the Shell” finished and transitioned into Martin Garrix’s “Animals.” While the producer danced his way back behind the decks, many were confused and amused by his track selection. Exclaiming “Fuck yeah!” right before the drop, the track turned out to be the hilarious “Funnymals” edit by McMaNGOS, a remix which morphs the drop into the tune of “Old MacDonald Had A Farm.”

Deadmau5 continued to make the crowd laugh as he mixed the acapella of his hit song “Ghosts N’ Stuff” with Avicii’s song “Levels.” He eventually returned back to his regular set and closed the night with Tommy Trash’s remix of “The Veldt.” While many criticized deadmau5 for his antics, he proved that not every set has to be completely serious in tone. The fact that he was able to mix such an absurd edit into a set filled with unforgiving techo serves as a testament to his much-needed laid back style; the festival would have sorely missed his humor otherwise.

1. Eric Prydz Changes The Game With Unparalleled Production and Setlist

As anticipation built for the world premiere of Eric Prydz’s HOLO production, the Swedish DJ learned that technical difficulties would prevent HOLO from coming to its full fruition. Despite the hang-ups, Prydz manned the main stage to deliver one of the greatest performances of Ultra history. With production that showcased lasers and lights usually only seen in European festivals, the set saw Prydz unleashing a perfect vision of progressive house.

From an edit of classic track “Pjanno” to a remix of Chvrches’ “Tether”, the songs naturally flowed as one cohesive whole. Prydz chose to remain true to the spirit of progressive house, weaving tracks in and out of each other as though the entire set was one hour-long track. Lasers illuminated brilliant shades of red, blue, green, and everything color in between and spiraled in patterns that often proved to be almost too bright for the human eye.

Ultimately Prydz’s set maintained the essence of progressive house and techno while delivering one of the greatest production’s in Ultra history, even despite the technical limitations. The fact that music without hackneyed drops still managed to inspire the crowd proved that the greatest artists in the genre remain true despite the short-lived trends that pervaded other sets. Human beings love to dance and share a spectacle; Prydz’s set understood this more so than any other set and set a benchmark for which all other DJs must now follow. A new level and experience indeed.

Photo Credits: Ultra Music Festival, Billboard, Calder Wilson, Oregon Live, Rolling Stone, The 305, Capital Xtra, inthemix

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